You've Got a Friend in Me

Recently I’ve thought a lot about friends. I’ve thought about many of the true, amazing friends I have had, from Upland Terrace Elementary to Brigham Young University. In each stage and place of my life Heavenly Father has blessed me with many friends who “stand by (me) . . . with warm hearts and friendly hands” (D&C 121:9). During the packing and unpacking of our lives I have stumbled into many letters, journals, pictures, music, and other mementos that have stirred in me a feeling of melancholy for the loss of friends through change, gratitude for them, and hope for future relationships with them and others.

Toy Story 3 moved me far beyond my high expectations. It drove home this theme of friendship and change in a most poignant way. It showed that mortality is made up of change and loss, but that the immortal nature of our souls makes change endurable. It showed the power of loyalty and teamwork, trust and love. I would write more explicitly on the film, but there may be some deprived readers who have yet to see it. Do see it as soon as you can. I attached myself to the Toy Story series (and to Pixar) from the opening release of Toy Story in 1995. I believe I saw it 9 times in theaters. I absolutely loved Toy Story 2, adding dimensions to the characters and complexities to their need for love. Toy Story 3 served as the perfect close to a perfect series (and please disregard the previews if you’ve seen them, which completely fail to capture its greatness). The boundless friendship of the Toy Story team comforts and inspires me. The film also touched me because of my very strong relationship with inanimate creatures, primarily made up of stuffed animals. Nothing makes me happier than seeing Abe play with my old friends, Wrinkles the Dog (my version of Woody), Blizzard the Bear, or Leo the Lion.

I knew I would have trouble putting pen to page for this post. The feelings I’ve had lately are too deep. There is a slim chance any of my friends will read this, but if you do, know that I am your friend. Know that our experiences together have not been forgotten, but that they are part of my immortal soul. Know that I am a loyal friend to you, even if I haven’t contacted you or heard from you in months, or even years. Know that I would do anything for my friends, you included. Whether our interaction took place at Upland Terrace Elementary, the East Mill Creek 2nd Ward, Evergreen Junior High School, Olympus High School, Big River at Hale, the Porto Portugal Mission, The University of Utah, Big River at the Grand, the Mount Ensign 2nd Ward, the Garden Park Ward, Brigham Young University's MPA Program, the BYU 87th Ward, the Partnership for Public Service or even the College Park Ward where we're making new friends each day, know that you've got a friend in me. And the experiences we had transcend their all-to-short length--they make up the eternal me, and for that I'm grateful to you. And how grateful I am that my very best friends are permanently attached to me, to infinity and beyond.

If you want to read a much better tribute to the idea of friendship, read this month's First Presidency message in the Ensign. I hope that I can be counted a friend of His.